1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments relate to a battery pack and a charging method for the same. More particularly, example embodiments relate to a battery pack that automatically regulates a charging current supplied from a charger, thereby securing stability, and to a charging method for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional battery pack may include a battery, e.g., a lithium-ion battery or a lithium polymer battery, and a stability circuit electrically connected to the battery. The conventional battery may include an electrode assembly and an electrolyte sealed in its case, and may be charged/discharged via chemical reactions. The stability circuit of the conventional battery pack may prevent overcharge/overdischarge of the battery by regulating the charge-discharge process of the battery.
When the conventional battery pack is electrically connected to a charger, however, a magnitude of a charging current may be a predetermined value set by the charger before charging of the battery begins. As a result, the conventional battery pack may be always charged with a same charging current regardless of external conditions, e.g., when the surrounding temperature is very low in the winter and/or when the surrounding temperature is very high in the summer. In other words, even if external conditions are modified, e.g., when the surrounding temperature of the battery pack is very low or high, and charging characteristics of the battery pack are changed with respect to the external conditions, e.g., an internal resistance of the battery pack is changed in accordance with the low/high temperature, the conventional battery pack is charged with a same predetermined charging current from the charger.
For example, when the conventional battery pack is charged in high temperature surroundings, e.g., an interior of a vehicle in the summer, an internal heat radiation of the battery pack may increase. Accordingly, when the charging current continuously flows from the charger into the battery pack with the increased internal heat radiation, a circuit device of the battery pack may be damaged due to the internal heat radiation. In another example, when the conventional battery pack is charged in low temperature surroundings, e.g., an interior of a vehicle in the winter, the charging current having an impulse component may instantaneously flow into the battery pack, thereby damaging the circuit device of the battery pack.